2007 Audi Cross Cabriolet quattro Concept

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November 14, 2007

It’s not
the production version of
the new Q5 small SUV — that likely awaits a Geneva motor show introduction
next year — but Audi’s new Cross Cabriolet quattro concept
carries some hints as to what the Q5 will do and look like when it bows next
year.

The Cross
Cabriolet quattro concept will be unveiled today at the
Los Angeles auto show. The
two-door, four-seat concept blends sport-ute traits with a convertible body, as
the name indicates.

The
engine motivating the concept is a six-cylinder turbodiesel with 240 horsepower.
A version of Audi’s new 3.0-liter turbodiesel six, the new engine comes with an
ultra-low emission system using urea aftertreatment that meets European
standards for the year 2014. The concept’s engine is teamed with a a Tiptronic
eight-speed automatic. Audi claims a 0-60 mph time of less than 7.2
seconds.

Audi’s
quattro all-wheel-drive system is of course beneath the Cross Cabriolet’s skin.
It is set up to push torque to the wheels in a 40/60 front-rear split. Under
extreme circumstances the system can deliver 65 percent of available torque to
the front wheels, or 85 percent to the rears. Adjustable shocks and ride height
are baked into the all-road gear, and derived in part from the applications
found in the current Q7 SUV.

The body
of the Cross concept is derived from the new A4/A5 architecture, as the
production Q5 will be and as the next A6 is expected to be, too. Overall it’s
181.9 inches long, with a 110.6-inch wheelbase, and it rides 64.2 inches tall.
Audi claims ”unbeatable” head and leg room for back seat
passengers.

On its
body, the
Cabriolet top recedes or reattaches itself in 17 seconds. The lid itself folds
in a Z-shape that makes for a compact top stack — and is much more
lightweight than a folding hardtop might be. Copper Sunset paint highlights the
body, which uses reinforced A-pillars and pop-up rollover bars to keep occupants
safe in a crash.

From the
face, the Cross Cabriolet fits neatly into the current Audi idiom, with a large
grille frame and LED headlamps and daytime running lights. Big 21-inch wheels
with 35-series tires and running boards beef up the SUV
stance.

For the
cargo side
of the Cross Cabriolet’s SUV personality, the concept’s rear glass is hinged to
the folding top, and folds out of the way for access to the cargo hold like a
tailgate would. Elsewhere inside the Cross Cabriolet concept has some atypical features
for a German-branded car — like heated and cooled cupholders,
Bang & Olufsen audio, integrated Google Earth software for navigation, and
intercoms for communication between passengers in top-down
mode.